Bridging the Gap
by KeyofNostalgia
Summary: On Valentine's Day, Annabeth thinks too hard about romance and Percy, and she becomes glum until she gets an unexpected surprise. Set after BoTL and before TLO.


At 6:48 PM of February 14th, I slouched on my bed, an unread book in my hands. There was too much going on in my head for me to focus on the Greek Architecture book that would normally be so interesting. What did I think about, you ask? My musings focused on Percy Jackson and our complicated relationship. I, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, was (and still is) hopelessly infatuated with the son of Poseidon. The rivalry between our parents could have made our friendship awkward, but it didn't. We had gone through so much together, and I kept wishing that he would notice my feelings and like me back. Gods, I sounded like a daughter of Aphrodite. Anyways, we had grown distant after my former long-time friend Luke…changed. Every time we talked about Luke, Percy had seemed cold. I kind of wanted it to be jealousy, but it was hard to tell. Ugh, why did he have to be such a Seaweed Brain? I had heard that he was hanging out with that mortal Rachel more often lately. She did go to his school, but still…..

He confused me. I had no idea what to think, and I hated not knowing. Who did Percy like: Me, Rachel, neither, or both? In the long run, I would never push him away intentionally, but it was hard not to be upset since he showed interest in her. Then I realized that the long run might be less than a year. I considered the prophecy. Ever since I had heard it, I had wondered who the hero would be. Now, it was obvious; Percy Jackson would likely die, leaving me with a broken heart and the lifeless body of-

"Stop being such a drama queen!" I muttered to myself. Glad that no one was home to hear me, I sighed. "Just enjoy this brief, monster-free break, and focus on the future later."

I opened my book, but a sharp knock on the door startled me. I looked quickly at the clock: 7:00 PM. It couldn't have been my brothers; they were at their friend's house. Dad and my stepmom were also out and would be until whenever their date ended. I warily took out my knife and tiptoed to the door. I slowly put my hand on the knob but froze as I heard something I hadn't expected: a whinny. Was that a horse outside my house? I jerked opened the door to come face to face-well, snout-with a pegasus. More specifically, Blackjack. Strapped on his back was a package. I set it on the ground, and Blackjack nudged my hand, probably asking for a sugar cube.

"Hold on," I told him as I unsealed the box, thoughts rapidly shooting through my head. Who had sent it? It must have been Percy, but why? What was it? Why was I asking questions to myself and not checking the contents yet? I shook my head and reached inside. There was a box of heart shaped dark chocolate, a brochure for a trip to Greece (more like Athens since the Parthenon was proudly displayed on front), and a note on elegant gray paper.

"_Dear Annabeth,_

_First of all, I'm sorry that this is in English. You know my Greek isn't too good. I wanted to send you a gift, but since I can't actually go to San Francisco, Blackjack is delivering it. Please feed him apples if you can (sugar isn't healthy for him). And I also apologize if I freaked out your family. A winged horse appearing at your doorway could be a little unusual in other people's lives, after all. Anyways, There's a box of dark chocolate (your favorite__) and the brochure. It's my reassurance to you that you'll get to see the Parthenon someday. I haven't heard from you lately. If I've done something stupid to make you angry, I hope this makes you feel better. Let's meet soon at camp, not dying or gravely injured. Cause, you know, that'd be bad. _

_Happy Valentine's Day! :)_

_~Percy Jackson"_

It took me about 5 minutes to read the thing, especially with Percy's handwriting. I thought it was really sweet though. I couldn't help but grin and laugh softly. He cared enough to send me a Valentine's Day present! Suddenly feeling really giddy, I petted Blackjack's snout and went inside to find an apple, a pencil, and a sheet of sea-green paper.


End file.
